Hannah and Melissa were paired together as part of the UCLA buddy system. A unique part of the institution’s cohort experience, the UCLA buddy system pairs students who attend UCLA with visiting students during the Amgen Scholars Program.

In July, at the U.S. symposium, six Amgen Scholars shared what they love about science. From the power of energy to the magic of molecules, these students share their unique perspectives on what drives their research.

As an undergraduate student at Caltech, Levine conducted research at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she designed luminescent lanthanide sensors for detection of bacterial endospores, which are among the most resilient forms of life on Earth.

U.S. Amgen Scholars from 10 host institutions gathered July 15-16 for a two-day symposium at the University of California, Los Angeles. They heard from UCSF professor Dr. Charles Craik about the path to a Ph.D., learned about applying to grad school, and met with faculty at UCLA about their research interests, among other activities.

“Any time you build a connection with someone in your field, or a field you’re interested in, that’s networking,” says Isabelle Rosenthal, reflecting on what she has learned about networking since attending the Amgen Scholars U.S. Symposium at UCLA in 2015.

Two women from two different backgrounds – one from a rural town in Eurasian Georgia and the other from urban Barcelona – both shared something in common growing up: a lack of access to scientific research labs.